Abstract

The main cause that hampered many previous biodemographic studies of human longevity is the lack of appropriate data. At the same time, many existing data resources (millions of genealogical records) are under-utilized, because their very existence is not widely known, let alone the quality and scientific value of these data sets are not yet validated.
The purpose of this work is to review the data resources that could be used in familial studies of human longevity. This is an extended and supplemented version of the previous study made by the authors upon the request of the National Institute on Aging (1998 NIH Professional Service Contract).
The review describes: (1) data resources developed for biodemographic studies, (2) data collected in the projects on historical demography, (3) data resources for long lived individuals and their families, (4) publicly available computerized genealogical data resources, (5) published genealogical and family history data. The review also contains the description of databases developed by the participants of the Research Workshops "Genes, Genealogies, and Longevity" organized by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research.